JP2010062717A - Remote controller apparatus, electric device, control system and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote controller with improved ease of operation. <P>SOLUTION: The remote controller apparatus for storing the command of the control system which controls a plurality of equipment is provided. The remote controller apparatus includes a network connection part (130) which is connected to a network and receives a control code stored on the side of the plurality of equipment. Then, a command analysis part (110) for analysis of the received control code is provided. A button setting part (180) allocates a command for calling the analyzed control code to the button of an input part (160) for each function of control. As the control code, a unified control code which is a program or data for which the control codes are gathered by a prescribed rule and described in a data description language is used. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote controller device, an electric device, a control system, and a control method, and more particularly to a remote controller device, an electric device, a control system, and a control method that receive device-specific information stored in a plurality of devices.

In recent years, a considerable number of household electric appliances (devices) are controlled by a remote controller device (remote controller) such as an infrared remote controller or a radio remote controller.
However, it takes a lot of space to prepare all remote controllers for each device, and it is difficult to select a remote controller for the device to be operated.
Therefore, recently, a plurality of devices can be controlled by a single remote controller using a link function of HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface). However, this remote control is compatible only with specific devices such as a television and a DVD recorder, and there is a problem that signals from other devices cannot be transmitted.

On the other hand, learning remote controllers that can control a plurality of devices are commercially available.
As a conventional learning remote controller, referring to Patent Document 1, a learning remote controller capable of operating a large number of devices with one remote control transmitter is described (hereinafter referred to as Prior Art 1).
Since the remote control of this prior art 1 can register the control signals of other devices while confirming the display unit with a joystick or the like, an effect of improving usability can be obtained.
JP 2002-223489 A

  However, the learning remote controller of the prior art 1 has a problem in that it is inconvenient because the user must instruct and learn the remote control signal one by one.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a condition, and makes it a subject to eliminate the above-mentioned subject.

The remote controller device of the present invention is a remote controller device that stores commands of a control system that controls a plurality of electric devices, and receives device-specific information stored in the plurality of electric devices controlled by the remote controller device. Means, analyzing means for analyzing the received device specific information, and assigning means for assigning a command of each device to a corresponding button of the input means based on the function of each device of the analyzed device specific information It is characterized by providing.
In the remote controller device of the present invention, the device specific information includes a unified control code in which a control code that is data or a program related to commands of the plurality of electrical devices is described in a data description language according to a predetermined rule. To do.
In the remote controller of the present invention, the predetermined rule is a rule for assigning a common category function to the same command for each type of the plurality of electric devices, and the assigning means A command is assigned to a corresponding button of the input means.
The remote controller device according to the present invention further includes a plurality of control means for controlling the plurality of electrical devices connected to a network using the device specific information.
In the remote controller of the present invention, the device specific information further includes an implementation chart that is data related to a function supported by a plurality of electrical devices, and the plurality of control means further stores the implementation chart. The control is performed by data related to the corresponding function of the implementation chart.
The electrical equipment of the present invention is characterized by comprising equipment-specific information received by the remote controller device.
The electrical device according to the present invention includes device-specific information received by the remote controller device and the implementation chart, and the device-specific information and the implementation chart are updated via a network. And
The control system of the present invention includes the remote controller device and the electric device.
The control method of the present invention receives a unified control code that collects device-specific information for remote controller devices of the plurality of electrical devices according to a predetermined rule, and an implementation chart related to the corresponding function, and receives the received control code. A unified control code is analyzed, and the analyzed unified control code is assigned to a corresponding button of the input means using a category command common to each control function using the implementation chart.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the operability of the remote controller by receiving and analyzing device-specific information stored in a plurality of electric devices and assigning commands to the input means for each function.

<Embodiment>
[Appearance of operation]
Referring to FIG. 1, a control system X according to an embodiment of the present invention uses a remote control 10 that is a learning type remote control device to control each of a television 201, a BD recorder 202, a living air conditioner 204, an electric lamp 205, and the like. A device (electrical device) can be controlled. These devices are connected by a network 5 (see FIG. 2), and transmit / receive information to / from each other.
Here, the control system X according to the embodiment of the present invention has a feature that the remote controller 10 can receive a signal from each device and learn a control signal.
The remote controller 10 includes a display unit 140 that is a relatively large dot matrix display, and an input unit 160 that can assign (set) the function of each device as will be described later.
Further, the remote controller 10 can create and execute a “multiple device connection command” for performing an operation across a plurality of devices.

〔System configuration〕
Next, an example of the system configuration of the control system X according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the control system X, for example, a living room device 20 provided in a living room in a house and an other room device 30 provided in an entrance, another room, a hallway, or the like are connected via a network 5 (network). is doing. In addition, it is possible to connect to devices in other places.
The network 5 is a power line network, a wireless LAN, a wired LAN, HDMI, a telephone network, a mobile phone network, a PHS network, a WiMAX, a cLink, an optical fiber network, a dedicated line, and other network networks, and connects each device. Moreover, it is desirable that the network 5 can be connected to, for example, the Internet.
Furthermore, the remote controller 10 is connected to the network 5 through the living room device 20, and the remote controller 10 is connected to each device using 2.4 GHz band radio waves such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), wireless USB, infrared communication, or the like. A command (hereinafter referred to as a command) which is a pattern of a control signal for operating the device, and a device status signal such as the execution result of the command can be exchanged. In addition, each device transmits a command expressed by a signal such as a radio wave or infrared ray transmitted / received from the control signal transmission / reception unit 150 of the remote controller 10 as an IP (Internet Protocol) signal, an HDMI serial signal, or other communication signal. And a function of transferring to other devices via the network 5.

The living room device 20 includes, for example, a television 201 that is a flat-screen television receiver such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, a BD recorder 202 that is a BD / DVD recorder / player, a PC / AT compatible machine, a MAC standard machine, or the like. PC 203, which is a personal computer (PC), etc., living air conditioner 204, which is an air conditioner provided in a living room that performs air conditioning, and electric lamp 205, which is an intelligent lighting device that can control lighting in the living room and other rooms. An AV amplifier 206 that selects audio and video signals from various devices and outputs the audio to a speaker is provided.
The other room device 30 includes, for example, an IP camera attached to the lens of the entrance door, a monitoring device 301 including a liquid crystal display for confirmation provided in the kitchen, an IP camera for photographing the liquid crystal display and the inside, and the like. Refrigerator 302, electrically operated window 303 that can be opened and closed via network 5, network attached storage that can store image data, audio data, and the like, steam that is a NAS 304 and a microwave oven, a steam oven, or the like that includes a liquid crystal display An oven 305 and a bedroom air conditioner 306 that is an air conditioner for the bedroom that performs cooling and heating are provided.
The various devices included in the living room device 20 and the other room device 30 each have a common format using description language XML or the like, and control commands, control conditions, etc., in an auxiliary storage unit such as a flash memory or HDD. I remember it.
The remote controller 10 is characterized in that these commands and control conditions can be read out and stored via the network 5 and learned.

[Control configuration of remote control 10]
Next, the control configuration of the remote controller 10 will be described with reference to FIG.
The remote controller 10 includes a control unit 100, a command analysis unit 110 (analysis unit), a control selection unit 115, a storage unit 120 (storage unit), a network connection unit 130 (reception unit), a display unit 140, and an input. Unit 160, a plurality of control units 170 (multiple control means), and a button setting unit 180 (assignment means).

The control unit 100 is an MPU (micro processing unit), a CPU (central processing unit) or the like, and executes a program or the like stored in the storage unit 120 or the like.
The command analysis unit 110 is a part that analyzes a control command from each device, an XML file of control conditions, and the like. Details of the processing of the command analysis unit 110 will be described later.
The control selection unit 115 is a part such as a user interface for selecting a device or function for giving an instruction.
The storage unit 120 is a storage unit such as a DRAM (dynamic random access memory), an SRAM (static random access memory), a flash memory, an HDD, or a ROM (read only memory). In addition to various programs and data, the storage unit 120 can store data such as commands 122, macros 124, and control conditions 126 as a database.
The command 122 is a command for various devices learned and stored by the remote controller 10.
The macro 124 is a macro instruction that indicates the control relationship between each command and each device, such as a multiple device connection command described later, and can be set by the user.
The control condition 126 is a control condition indicating a relationship between the command 122 and actual device control by the command. Here, the correspondence between the button assignment of the input unit 160 and the command number is stored as a control condition.
The network connection unit 130 is a physical layer (stack) of an IP network for connecting to the network 5 via the control signal transmission / reception unit 150. Note that the network connection unit 130 and the control signal transmission / reception unit 150 may be integrally formed, or may be configured to directly transmit the control signal to each device via the network 5.
The display unit 140 is mainly a dot matrix display provided in the remote controller 10, and includes a liquid crystal display, an organic / inorganic EL display, a PDP (plasma display panel), an FED (field emission display), and an LED (light / light display). An emission diode) array, electronic paper, or the like can be used. When the remote controller 10 is connected to a display device such as the television 201, the display content of the display unit 140 may be displayed on the display device in large detail. Thereby, the effect that visibility improves is acquired.
The control signal transmission / reception unit 150 is a radio wave transmission / reception unit, an infrared LED, a light reception unit, or the like for transmitting / receiving a command, an implementation chart to be described later, a packet of the network 5, and the like. The control signal transmission / reception unit 150 includes a wireless LAN, wireless USB, HDMI, i-link, wired LAN, telephone line, c. You may provide terminals, such as link and USB. It also has a function to check which device is nearest by using a principle such as triangulation with multiple antennas. This function may be examined in conjunction with the tilt sensor of the input unit 160 or the like.
The input unit 160 is an input unit including a button for instructing transmission of a command assigned to each device and another button such as a numeric keypad. Further, the input unit 160 includes a device selection button for switching an operation device to be controlled. Furthermore, the input unit 160 may include a touch panel, a pointing device such as an optical sensor and a touch pad, an acceleration detection device, a skin resistance sensor, a tilt sensor, a voice input sensor, and the like. These input signals are also “buttons”. Can be handled in the same way.
The multiple control unit 170 is a part that controls command transmission / reception timing and the like in response to a multiple device connection command to be described later.
The button setting unit 180 is a part for drawing a display screen on which the user reflects an instruction using the input unit 160.
Note that the remote controller 10, the display unit 140, and the input unit 160 may be configured separately from each other, or may be configured as an integrated type. That is, like the touch panel, the input unit 160 and the display unit 140 may be formed and integrated. Further, the remote controller 10 may be built in the unit of the display unit 140, and only the input unit 160 may be connected separately.
Further, the control selection unit 115, the multiple control unit 170, and the button setting unit 180 can be configured such that the control unit 100 executes a program stored in the storage unit 120.
There may be a plurality of remote controllers 10. In addition, the XML data of each device and the data stored in the storage unit 120 of the remote controller 10 are transferred to another remote controller 10 or a remote controller or operation device of another device via the network 5 or a flash memory card. Easy to do. As data to be transferred by the remote controller 10, contents such as a command 122, a macro 124, a control condition 126, and the like stored in the storage unit 120 by performing a learning process described later, or XML data can be used. As a result, the same operation can be executed using any remote controller.

[Control processing for each device]
Next, control processing of each device using the remote controller 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Conventionally, each device can execute (call) a function corresponding to this command when each device receives a command which is a pattern of an infrared ray or a radio signal of the remote controller device. And in the learning remote controller like the prior art 1, it was necessary to read and set the infrared and radio signal pattern of the remote controller corresponding to each command of each device.
On the other hand, in the control system X according to the embodiment of the present invention, the information stored in the device related to this command is stored as a “control code”, and this “control code” is downloaded to the remote control. A remote control with high operability can be easily realized.
Further, since this control code is a “unified control code” in accordance with a predetermined description rule, it becomes possible to intuitively call the functions of each device. Furthermore, commands can be easily realized by linking each device.

Thus, in the control system X according to the embodiment of the present invention, each device is controlled using the “unified control code”. Below, the outline | summary about a unified control code is demonstrated.
First, what is necessary for operation of a device by a remote controller is a function of (1) selecting a device to be operated and (2) performing an operation specific to each device.
Even if there is a difference in the model of each device, for example, a television receiver, “channel selection”, “volume up / down”, etc., DVD / BD player “play”, “stop”, “fast forward” (in order of time) High-speed playback in the direction), “rewinding” (high-speed playback in the reverse direction of time), and the like. Other devices also have a function of performing the same operation, such as “power on” and “power off”. In addition, what happens when you press a button on the remote control is intuitive, such as moving the channel up and down with the “up” and “down” buttons, and determining the opening and closing direction of the window. Sometimes users can recall and imagine.
In the control system X according to the embodiment of the present invention, using these properties, an operation unique to each device is assigned by a “unified control code” that unifies command command numbers and the like for each device.
This is to control the remote control like “Unicode” in which Japanese, Chinese and Taiwanese characters with slightly different fonts are assigned to the same code and can be displayed for the time being.

(Unified control code)
The unified control code will be described more specifically with reference to the example of FIG.
In the control system X according to the embodiment of the present invention, as described above, data or a program that functionally represents a device-specific command is referred to as a “control code”. That is, the control code is not only a signal pattern related to a command but also data and a program for expressing a function related to such a pattern, and is a part of device specific information which is device specific information. The unified control code is a code that describes the control code according to a predetermined rule in order to handle the commands for the remote controller device, which has conventionally been dispersed for each device in a unified manner.
FIG. 4 shows a relationship between a command number (command number) that is a command number of the unified control code and each function. That is, an example is shown in which the same commands are assigned to functions belonging to a common category (section, category) for each type of device such as columns C1 to C9.

More specifically, for example, column C1 in FIG. 4 is a control code unique to the television receiver (television). Here, a list of commands for operating the television is shown, and command number 1 is assigned power on and command number 2 is assigned power off.
Similarly, in other devices, command number 1 is assigned power-on and command number 2 is assigned power-off. The TV channel 1 and the recorder / player channel 1 are assigned in correspondence. That is, the same command number is assigned to similar functions.
Actually, each device does not need to correspond to all commands, and when a command having no function is transmitted, it is handled by ignoring or returning an error signal.
Also, in the case of a device that needs to be always turned on, such as a refrigerator, that is, a device that does not require a power-on or power-off command, the command itself is not provided.
Further, as in the column C7 which is the controller of the lamp, a plurality of lamps are selected according to the “switch lamp” of the command number 24, the power of the lamp selected by the command of the command number 1 is turned on, the command number 2 You can also turn it off with this command.

  Also, referring to FIG. 2, the control code in column C1 can be provided in the television 201 belonging to the type of television receiver. Similarly, the control code of the recorder / player in the column C2 can be provided in the BD recorder 202, the PC 203, and the NAS 304 belonging to the type of recorder / player having a recording / playback function. Further, the AV amplifier 206 can be provided with the control code of the AV amplifier in the column C3. Similarly, the control code of the monitoring device in column C4 can be provided in the monitoring device 301. The living room air conditioner 204 and the bedroom air conditioner 306 can be provided with the control code for the air conditioner in the column C5. The window 303 may be provided with a control code for the window in column C6. The control code of the electric light in the column C7 can be provided in the electric light 205. The refrigerator 302 can be provided with the refrigerator control code in the column C8. The steam oven 305 can be provided with control codes for the cookware in row C9.

Here, with reference to FIG. 4 again, as in G1, both the TV and the recorder / player output video / audio signals, and in the case of a recorder, a tuner is also provided. There are many similarities. In the unified control code according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that such cases belong to the same group.
The devices in the same group are provided with functions that are similar in terms of device operation, such as channel number designation. In the unified control code according to the embodiment of the present invention, functions having similar operations are called common category functions. By describing each command in conjunction with a common category function, the control code can be handled uniformly. Thereby, the relationship between the function of the device and the command is clarified, and the buttons of the remote controller 10 can be easily assigned. Furthermore, as will be described later, since the function and the command number are combined, each device can be easily linked.
Although not shown in FIG. 4 in addition to G1, the unified control code also defines other types of devices in the same group. And it is suitable to arrange so that distance may become near in a table | surface for every kind of apparatus of a close group.
In FIG. 4, the description of each function is expressed based on the elements in the table, but each element is described in data written in a description language such as XML, script language, or Java (registered trademark). It is preferable to use a class or the like.

Further, in the unified control code according to the embodiment of the present invention, a function closer to a common category function can be assigned to the same command for devices in different groups.
For example, the power-on of command number 1 and the power-off of command number 2 in FIG. 4 are functionally common to the air conditioner and the recorder / player, so the same command is assigned.
However, it is difficult to say that the function of turning the air direction of the air conditioner to the left and the function of rewinding are conceptually the same. In such a case, another command is usually assigned.
Here, it can be considered that the user can intuitively imagine what kind of reaction can be expected when, for example, the “left” arrow button is pressed in each device. That is, with the “left” button, it can be understood that if the air conditioner is turned to the left, the recorder / player will rewind. Actually, even in a commercially available remote control of an air conditioner or a remote controller of a recorder / player, those functions are often assigned to the “left” arrow.
Therefore, the unified control code according to the embodiment of the present invention can be considered as “a function of a common category” even in such a case.
However, such conceptually different “common category functions” can be confusing to users if the groups are the same. For this reason, it is also possible to assign a command that is a “common category function” that is conceptually different as described above, only to devices with different categories. Each device can be assigned to a suitable button using information relating to standard button assignment in an implementation chart to be described later.
With this configuration, the number of command numbers can be suppressed, and the use efficiency and calculation efficiency of the memory of the remote controller can be increased.

Note that the control code of each device can be dynamically changed, and is updated (updated) between the devices by using the network 5 or the link function of HDMI, or by storing it from a flash memory card or the like. Is possible. The updated unified control code can also be downloaded by the remote controller 10 and stored in the storage unit 120. Furthermore, uploading from the remote controller 10 to each device is also possible.
In addition, each device has its own unique function, and a function that could not be imagined may be added due to the development of technology. For this reason, for each control code type, a “reserved” command number for a specific function, a command number “reserved” for expansion, and a corresponding implementation chart storage area are also provided.
FIG. 4 is an example for showing a concept for explaining the unified control code. The actual unified control code has more command numbers than those shown in FIG. You can assign actions.
Also, the actual unified control code can be expressed using a description language such as XML, and the actual function can be described in the file. The unified control code can also describe information indicating the relationship between the function and the ASCII code. For example, it is possible to describe ASCII code characters and a plurality of corresponding command number pairs.
Further, the remote controller 10 does not need to store the unified control codes of all corresponding devices, and receives (downloads) the control codes specific to each device stored in the auxiliary storage unit as necessary. Is stored in the storage unit 120.

(Control code class and implementation chart)
Furthermore, each device stores a “control code class” and an “implementation chart (function fulfillment table)” in the auxiliary storage unit in addition to the control code described above.
The control code class is, for example, a number indicating the type of device such as the types of the unified control code columns C1 to C8, and this can also be updated (updated) in the future.
For this control code class, the storage unit 120 of the remote controller 10 also stores what kind of device the number of each control code class indicates.

Here, with reference to FIG. 5, the “implementation chart” that is data stored in the auxiliary storage unit will be described in detail with respect to functions corresponding to individual devices.
As shown in FIG. 5, the BD recorder 202, the PC 203, and the NAS 304 having the same control code in the column C2 have the same type of control code but are functionally different. By referring to the implementation chart, each device and the remote controller 10 can call a function in consideration of such a functional difference.
Here, the BD recorder 202 is H.264. The PC 203 is compatible with H.264 codec playback and recording. The H.264 codec stores the relationship between the data format and functions such that only reproduction is supported. Functions corresponding to this implementation chart are prepared for each type of control code. Similarly, H.M. It is possible to memorize that the recording of H.263 (3GP, 3GPP format moving image format) only supports NAS304.
Furthermore, each device stores a unique ID (Identification), model name, and the like in the auxiliary storage unit. As a result, it is possible to identify which type of device, and even the same device can be distinguished.
It is preferable that these “control code class”, “implementation chart”, “ID”, “model name”, etc. are actually described in a data description language such as an XML file to facilitate handling as data. .

Although not shown in FIG. 5, the implementation chart includes data such as character strings for explanation of each function, and can store more detailed correspondence of functions.
Furthermore, the implementation chart also stores information related to standard button assignments. The information regarding the standard button assignment describes, for example, the relationship between the ASCII sequence code and the standard button assignment. For example, the command number 1 of the BD recorder 202 can be described so as to assign 29 (decimal number 0x1D) as a decimal number indicating the left arrow. This standard button assignment is desirably unified as much as possible for each type such as the same columns C1 to C9 in FIG. 4, but in order to express a fine functional difference of each device, it is different for each implementation chart. Can be prepared.
In addition, the implementation chart also describes the format of data that can be transmitted to other devices and received from other devices, and the optimal output destination components when receiving the data Is also described. For example, when the monitoring device 301 or the refrigerator 302 includes a liquid crystal display, it can be described that the video data is displayed on the liquid crystal display.
The device-specific information includes information such as an ID and type of each component or module in addition to information such as an implementation chart (described later), the ID of each device, and the type of device.
Further, information on what means can be used for transmitting and receiving commands, such as radio waves, infrared rays, and LAN, is also included.
The control processing of each device including reception of the control code will be described in more detail below.

[Control processing of each device by the remote controller 10]
Next, control processing of each device by the remote controller 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As described above, the remote controller 10 can store unified control codes of various devices via the network connection unit 130. It is also possible to deal with control via a plurality of devices.
When the remote controller 10 is directed to any of the devices with the power of some devices turned on, the control signal transmitting / receiving unit 150 of the remote controller 10 searches for the device to which the remote controller 10 is directed. Is recognized as an “operation device” that is a device to be operated, and connection with the operation device is started. Then, the control signal transmission / reception unit 150 transmits / receives radio waves and infrared signals, and transmits / receives the following control codes, in this case, commands and implementation charts. When the operating device is selected, the device can also display such as blinking the LED or displaying on the liquid crystal screen.
Further, when this operating device is recognized, the network connection unit 130 of the remote controller 10 can be connected to the network 5 via the operating device. At this time, in order to reduce the power consumption of the remote controller 10, it is desirable to transmit / receive signals only when there is a user instruction other than transmission / reception of commands and implementation charts.
Hereinafter, each process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Steps S101 to S103 describe a case where the user is in the living room and the BD recorder 202 is an operating device, and steps S104 to S105 describe a case where the monitoring device 301 is an operating device.

(Step S101)
The control unit 100 of the remote controller 10 performs control code reception processing.
The control unit 100 transmits a broadcast packet or the like from the network connection unit 130 toward the network 5 in order to search for a device that can receive the control code.
When each device detects this broadcast packet or the like, it returns an ID, a model name, a control code class, and a device address. Here, each device returns a physical or logical network address when the network 5 is HDMI or the like, and an IP address when the network 5 is an IP network such as a LAN.
The network connection unit 130 receives the ID, control code class, and address.
Then, the control part 100 memorize | stores these information of the apparatus according to a response in the memory | storage part 120. FIG.
Here, a description will be given assuming that the TV 201, the BD recorder 202, the living air conditioner 204, the monitoring device 301, and the bedroom air conditioner 306 are searchable.
It is desirable that the control code can be transmitted / received via the network 5 even when the power is off or in the standby mode.

Here, referring to screen example 500 in FIG. 7, control unit 100 displays on display unit 140 the type and model name of the device that can receive the control code. If there are multiple devices of the same type, they are displayed in order of ID number.
Furthermore, when the control unit 100 detects that the user has agreed to add a control code from the input unit 160, the control unit 100 makes a request for transmission of the control code to these devices from the network connection unit 130.
Upon receiving this request, each device transmits a control code, an implementation chart, and the like. Here, in order to save the bandwidth of the network 5, each device may transmit in sequence.
The network connection unit 130 receives the control code, the implementation chart, and the like from the network 5. During this reception, a progress bar or the like is displayed as shown in a screen example 510 in FIG. 7 to notify the user that learning is in progress.
Thereafter, the control unit 100 analyzes and stores the command by the command analysis unit 110, and instructs the button setting unit 180 to assign a default (normative) button.

Hereinafter, analysis and storage of commands according to instructions from the control unit 100 will be described.
The command analysis unit 110 analyzes the description content of the XML file after checking the received control code and the checksum of the implementation chart and the like. Here, based on the contents of the XML file, the relationship between each control code and the function and the relationship with the function of another device are compared and analyzed. Then, the analyzed command and the implementation chart are stored in the command 122 of the storage unit 120.
As described above, in the remote controller 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, learning is performed by receiving and analyzing a control code and an implementation chart from each device. Therefore, it is not necessary to learn the control signal for each command.

Hereinafter, assignment of default (regulation) buttons according to instructions from the control unit 100 will be described.
The button setting unit 180 assigns command defaults (regulations) to the buttons and the like of the input unit 160 simultaneously with learning. This allocation is performed according to the correspondence between commands and buttons stored in the storage unit 120 of the remote controller 10, the control code of each device, the implementation chart, and the like.
Here, the remote controller 10 stores, for example, the correspondence between each button and the ASCII code character. Therefore, each command is assigned to the button of the character corresponding to the command number of the implementation chart of each device.
As described above, in the same type of device, common category functions are assigned to the same command number. In addition, the command number of each device is basically assigned to characters of the same ASCII code, for example. Thus, as a default assignment, similar buttons can be assigned to commands that are functionally similar to the selected device. That is, the button setting unit 180 can assign a command having the same or similar command number to a button that is substantially the same as or similar to other devices.
In addition, a plurality of commands may be assigned to one button. For example, command number 5 “fast forward (slow)” and command number 6 “fast forward (fast)” can be assigned to the same “right” button. In this case, it is also possible to perform assignment such as switching commands depending on the number of times the button is pressed or the A / D conversion value of the strength of pressing.
Further, the default assignment of buttons may be stored in the control condition 126 of the storage unit 120 for each control code class. The command analysis unit 110 can read out this default assignment for each device. As a result, it is possible to assign commands with less contradiction.
In addition, the assignment is also performed for the device selection button of the input unit 160 for selecting each learned device. This device selection button is used to easily switch the operation device with a single button when there are a plurality of devices such as a living room.
The button setting unit 180 stores the relationship between each function or command as a result of the assignment and the button in the control condition 126 of the storage unit 120.

The control unit 100 displays the learned device on the display unit 140. This display screen is shown as a screen example 520 in FIG.
In the screen example 520, a device that has failed to learn due to a communication state of the network 5, a problem such as data compatibility or damage, and so on is displayed. This case can be dealt with by setting the network 5 or updating the unified control code of the remote controller 10.
Instead of adding control codes for all devices, the user can select a device to be added.

Thereafter, when the control unit 100 detects that the user has pressed the button of the input unit 160, the control unit 100 displays a “function selection menu”. This is because when a control code or the like is received, it is more convenient for the user to set a function suitable for each.
Referring to screen example 530 in FIG. 7, in this function selection display menu, (1) operation device selection, (2) button function setting, (3) multiple device connection command creation, (4) multiple device connection command execution, ( 5) The function of the remote controller 10 such as returning to normal operation can be selected.

Normally, as described above, the control signal transmission / reception unit 150 automatically sets the device to which the remote controller 10 is directed as the operation device. In addition, the user can press the device selection button of the input unit 160 to instruct the operation device.
However, as shown in the screen example 530 in FIG. 7, the operation device (1) can be selected from the function selection menu. This is effective in a living room where there are a plurality of devices and the position of the device is not clear due to radio waves or the like.
Further, in practice, for example, when the BD recorder 202 control signal transmission / reception unit 150 is communicating, it is also effective in situations such as designating another device, for example, the television 201 as an operation device. In this case, the television 201 can be set as an operating device via the network 5. Thereby, it is possible to cope with a case where the operating device cannot be selected well due to problems such as the direction of the remote controller 10 or radio wave interference.
Further, when the operation device is selected in (1), the control unit 100 is connected to the network 5 through the current operation device, and cannot be controlled by removing other devices or disconnecting the power supply. Check if there is any. That is, it can be displayed whether the user can select another operating device. A display example 600 shows a display example of the state of the device.
If the user selects a device that has been removed, a warning display to that effect can be displayed on the display unit 140.

(Step S102)
After the operation device is selected and learning is completed, the control selection unit 115 performs operation device display processing.
Specifically, referring to the screen example 610 in FIG. 8, the control selection unit 115 refers to the command 122 and the control condition 126 and displays the function assignment of the button of the selected device on the display unit 140. Screen example 610 shows button function assignments when the user selects BD recorder 202.
This screen example 610 shows button assignment when the channel selection operation mode is selected when the BD recorder 202 has several operation modes. Here, in addition to the channel selection operation mode, modes such as a recording mode, a playback mode, and other modes can be selected. That is, when it is detected that the user has selected another operation mode, the control unit 100 displays the button assignment in the operation mode.
As for the button assignment, the control selection unit 115 continues to display it on the display unit 140 as long as the user does not select another function.

In the control system X according to the embodiment of the present invention, all devices connected to the network 5 can be controlled by the remote controller 10.
For example, even when the remote controller 10 is a remote controller of the television 201 of the living room device 20, the learned device can be controlled. In this case, with the remote controller 10 facing the TV 201, the operation of the entrance camera of the monitoring device 301, the operation of the bedroom air conditioner 306, and the on / off of the corridor lamps by the lamps 205 are controlled as the devices of the other room apparatus 30. , Etc. are possible.
In addition, when the window 303 is reformed as a window that can be controlled with a new unified control code, the learning can be performed by performing control code reception processing. Thereby, the apparatus which can select operation can be increased and the remote control 10 can perform opening and closing of a window.
Further, even when the control code changes, it can be updated and handled by performing the control code reception process. Conversely, the control code of each device can be updated by transmitting the control code of the remote controller 10 to each device.
In addition, when each device has a function of transmitting a device state or the like accompanying the operation at the time of operation by the user, the control unit 100 can also display the state on the display unit 140.
Further, when the user presses the device selection button or selects the operation device (1) from the function selection menu, the control signal transmission / reception unit 150 indicates that the remote control 10 is directed to another device. Switch. At this time, the control unit 100 instructs the control selection unit 115 to execute the operation device display process again.

(Step S103)
Next, the button function setting process executed by the button setting unit 180 will be described.
When the user selects the button function setting (2) in the function selection display menu of the screen example 530 of FIG. 7, the function can be assigned to each button of the input unit 160 in the selected device. is there.
Referring to the screen example 700 and the screen example 710 in FIG. 8 which are screen examples when the button function setting of (2) is actually performed, the button setting unit 180 detects that the user has pressed another button. To display that button.
In the screen example 700, “other functions” is assigned to “button D”. At this time, when it is detected that the user has pressed the “7” button, the button setting unit 180 displays the screen as in a screen example 710.
Here, the button setting unit 180 searches for other assigned identical buttons. If the same button is assigned elsewhere, a warning message is displayed to prompt the user to select another button.
Further, the button setting unit 180 refers to the command 122 and the control condition 126 in the storage unit 120 and verifies whether or not the button can be set without contradiction with other devices that have been learned. For example, when the user assigns the “right” button of the input unit 160 to “rewind” on the BD recorder 202, the same button is assigned to “fast forward” on the PC 203, and the “camera left” is assigned to the monitoring device 301. ", A warning message is displayed as inconsistent.
As described above, the condition regarding whether or not the setting can be made without contradiction may be a majority decision among the learned devices, but may be implemented by other methods. For example, each device can determine whether there is no contradiction by determining the proximity of the command number.

When it is detected that the user has finished setting the button function in this way, the button setting unit 180 displays a confirmation message as to whether to accept the change.
When the user confirms, the button setting unit 180 stores the function assignments set in the command 122 and the control condition 126 in the storage unit 120.
Thereafter, in accordance with the set function, the control unit 100 detects that the user presses the button on the input unit 160, reads the command 122 and the control condition 126, selects the actual command, and operates the device. Is transmitted from the control signal transmission / reception unit 150 together with the ID of.
In the device that has received this, if the ID of the device to be operated is the same, the received command is executed.

(Step S104)
Next, the multiple device connection command creation process executed by the multiple control unit 170 will be described.
In the above-described steps, the case has been described where a command is transmitted to a single device and controlled using a unified control code.
Here, as described above, the control system X according to the embodiment of the present invention stores the control codes and implementation charts of a plurality of devices. For this reason, it is possible to easily instruct control between a plurality of devices using the commands of each device.
A group of commands instructing control between a plurality of devices in this way is called a multiple device connection command.

Further, referring to the screen example 530 of FIG. 7, the multiple control unit 170 detects that the user has instructed the multiple device connection command creation of (3) from the function selection display menu, and performs the multiple device connection command creation processing. Execute.
Referring to a screen example 800 in FIG. 9, a screen displayed on the display unit 140 by the multiple control unit 170 when the multi-device connection command is created is shown.
A screen example 800 shows a multi-device connection command when video is transferred from the BD recorder 202 to the monitoring device 301 for viewing. With this multi-device connection command, it is possible to cope with a case where a recorded program is reproduced while preparing a meal on the display monitor of the monitoring device 301 in the kitchen.
First, the user selects a device that executes a command, and selects a command that is executed by the device. A device that executes this command is referred to as a device 1. In the screen example 800, the device 1 is the BD recorder 202, and the command is “play”.
Next, the user designates a device 2 that is a device to be connected. The device 2 that receives data as a result of the command from the device that executes the command is the device 2. In the screen example 800, the device is the monitoring device 301. If no command is specified for the device 2, the device 2 receives the data of the device 1 and outputs it to an output destination suitable for outputting the data. In this case, the liquid crystal display of the monitoring device 301 is the output destination.
The user can name the command. Screen example 800 indicates that the user has designated the name of “monitored device recorded program playback”.
When these user instructions are completed, the multiple control unit 170 stores the multiple device connection command in the macro 124.

Note that the user can assign a multi-device connection command to the button of the input unit 160 in the same manner as the button function setting process. In this case, the user can immediately call the multiple device connection command by pressing this button.
In the screen example 800, only two devices are displayed, but more devices can be connected. In each device, a command to be executed and a connection can be set. Examples of commands on multiple devices like this:
Device 1 BD Recorder 202 Playback Device 1 to Device 2 NAS 301 Recording Device 1 to Device 3 Television 201
By setting in this way, it is possible to view the video reproduced by the BD recorder 202 of the device 1 on the television 201 while recording it on the NAS 304.

In addition, a plurality of commands to be executed can be specified for each device. If more than one is specified, the commands are executed sequentially.
Furthermore, since the control code according to the embodiment of the present invention is a unified control code, commands having the same concept can be set to be simultaneously executed by a plurality of devices. Examples of commands having the same concept include power on and power off. In addition, it is possible to describe whether the command has the same concept for each control code class in the unified control code, and when the user specifies to execute the same command on multiple devices Can be shown.

(Step S105)
Next, the multiple device connection command execution process executed by the multiple control unit 170 will be described.
As described above, a multi-device connection command can be executed by pressing an assigned button.
In addition, it is also possible to call from the function selection menu. Referring again to the screen example 530 in FIG. 7, the multiple control unit 170 detects that the user has selected the multiple device connection command execution (4) from the function selection display menu. Then, referring to the screen example 900 of FIG. 9, a plurality of multiple device connection commands and assigned buttons are displayed. This screen allows the user to select and instruct a multiple device connection command to be executed.
When the user selects a multiple device connection command and gives an instruction to execute it, the multiple control unit 170 performs a multiple device connection command execution process.

Here, a case will be described in which a multi-device connection command is executed when a video is transferred from the BD recorder 202 to the monitoring apparatus 301 for viewing as a multi-device connection command.
First, the multiple control unit 170 reads information such as a device to be connected, a command to be executed, and an execution direction from the macro 124.
Then, the control signal transmission / reception unit 150 reads the command 122 of each device to be connected and executes the command.
Then, when there is data output by the command, the plurality of control units 170 determine how to transmit / receive between devices by referring to the implementation chart of the command 122 of each device, Instruct the equipment.

In this example, a case will be described in which the BD recorder 202 and the monitoring device 301 are compatible with DTCP (Digital Transmission Content Protection) and DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance).
The multiple control unit 170 selects a codec (for example, MPEG2 or 3GP) that is compatible with both the BD recorder 202 and the monitoring device 301.
The multiple control unit 170 transmits and receives a control signal transmission / reception command to instruct the codec to “play” and transmit the video and audio stream data from the BD recorder 202 to the monitoring device 301 using DTCP or DLNA. Transmitted from the unit 150.
When the user instructs execution of a multiple device connection command in the kitchen, the operating device that has received this command becomes the monitoring device 301. Then, the monitoring apparatus 301 transfers a command for instructing transmission to the monitoring apparatus 301 via the network 5.
The BD recorder 202 that has received the command to instruct the transmission executes the reproduction command toward the monitoring device 301. The BD recorder 202 transmits the reproduced video / audio stream data to the network 5 after conversion into a format supported by the monitoring device 301.
The monitoring device 301 receives the video / audio stream data and displays it on the liquid crystal display which is the optimum output destination of the data.
In the living room, when this multi-device connection command is executed using another device such as the BD recorder 202 or the television 201 as an operation device, a command is similarly transmitted between the BD recorder 202 and the monitoring device 301. Is executed.

When this multiple control command is being executed, the command for each operating device is transferred to that device via the network 5 and executed by the control unit of the device that is executing the multiple control command.
That is, when the user presses the “right” button of the input unit of the monitoring device 301 that is the device 2, a command corresponding to the button is transmitted to the BD recorder 202 of the device 1 via the network 5. Then, the BD recorder 202 performs “fast forward (slow)” or “fast forward (fast)” assigned to the “right” button, and the reproduced image data as a result is transmitted to the monitoring device 301.
In this way, by using the multiple device connection command, the user can give an instruction as if operating another device at the place, and the operability is improved.

When a plurality of commands are specified in the multi-device connection command, the commands are selected and executed in the same manner while measuring the timing between the devices.
When there is no data output by the command, the corresponding command is only executed.
For example, in the case of a multi-device connection command such as “outdoor window light air conditioner off”, the window 303 is closed, all the lights in the living room, hallway, entrance, etc. connected by the light 205 are switched off, and then the living room is turned off. Commands such as turning off the air conditioner 204 and turning off the bedroom air conditioner 306 are sequentially transmitted to each device.
The state of each device such as the execution result may be received by the plurality of control units 170 via the control signal transmission / reception unit 150 or the network connection unit 130 of the remote controller 10.
Further, the actual control code can further enhance the cooperation by using the same command as that of the link using HDMI.
In addition, if each device has been updated and has a codec or the like that differs from the implementation chart of the remote controller 10, exchange the implementation chart between devices and confirm the correspondence before sending. You can also.

When the multiple device connection command execution process ends, the control process of each device by the remote controller 10 ends. Thereafter, referring to FIG. 7 again, the remote controller 10 can transmit the command of the selected device until the user instructs to display the function selection display menu of the screen example 530.
Note that the processing of steps S101 to S105 may not be performed sequentially. That is, the user can select and perform necessary ones of the steps.

With the configuration described above, the following effects can be obtained.
First, the learning remote controller of Prior Art 1 has a problem that it is very inconvenient because the user must instruct and learn the signal of the remote controller of the corresponding device. Although the learning remote controller of Prior Art 1 has preset commands for operating the televisions of various companies, it cannot be used simply by connecting other devices.
On the other hand, the control system X according to the embodiment of the present invention automatically uses the common control code of the connected device for each device connected to the network 5 based on the unified control code. You can learn. For this reason, the operability of the user's remote control can be significantly improved.
In addition, when a new device is connected, the user can use the closest function immediately by using a command assigned to the same or close button.

Furthermore, since a plurality of devices can be controlled efficiently, user operability can be greatly improved.
In addition, even when there are a plurality of devices, a multi-device connection command can be easily operated. Thereby, user operability is improved.
Furthermore, since the devices in the “separate room” can be operated, the operability of the user can be further improved, and an organically coupled home network can be easily constructed without special knowledge.

The remote controller 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be executed as software downloaded to a mobile phone, a mobile terminal, or the like. In this case, a command can be similarly executed by accessing the LAN of the network 5 from a WAN network such as the Internet or a mobile phone network outside the network 5. For this reason, the door lock can be confirmed once again from the outside, for example, “window-light-conditioner off when going out”.
As the command, a command or a multi-device connection command can be set as a device for connecting the remote controller 10 itself. Thereby, for example, the monitoring image of the monitoring device 301 can be directly viewed by the remote controller 10.
In addition, the control code and the implementation chart of each device can be updated by the network 5 via the Internet or the like. At this time, as described above, the unified control code of the remote controller 10, the control code of each device, the implementation chart, and the like can be updated in accordance with the updated control code. In addition, the unified control code itself can be updated from version 1.0 to version 2.0.
In the above-described embodiment, the remote controller 10 has been described so as to store commands of multiple devices, implementation charts, and the like. However, it is also possible for each device to receive a command, an implementation chart, etc., and to store a multiple device connection command or the like. Thereby, for example, even if the monitoring device 301 is not operated by the remote controller 10, only the input unit of the monitoring device 301 can be operated to execute the above-described command or the multiple device connection command.
Further, the above-described button assignment has been described based on the correspondence between the buttons and ASCII code characters. However, for this correspondence, it is naturally possible to use a code that is not an ASCII code, such as a key code or a dedicated code.

  It should be noted that the configuration and operation of the above-described embodiment are examples, and it is needless to say that the configuration and operation can be appropriately changed and executed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows the example of control of each apparatus by the control system X which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a system configuration figure of control system X concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control structure of the remote control 10 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the example of the unified control code which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the example of the implementation chart which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the control processing of each apparatus by the remote control 10 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an example of a screen which shows the learning screen of the remote control 10 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an example of a screen which shows the button function setting screen of remote control 10 concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is an example of the screen which concerns on the multiple apparatus connection command of the remote control 10 which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

5 Network 10 Remote Control 20 Living Room Device 30 Other Room Device 100 Control Unit 110 Command Analysis Unit 115 Control Selection Unit 120 Storage Unit 122 Command 124 Macro 126 Control Condition 130 Network Connection Unit 140 Display Unit 150 Control Signal Transmission / Reception Unit 160 Input Unit 170 Multiple Control unit 180 Button setting unit 201 Television 202 BD recorder 203 PC
204 Living Air Conditioner 205 Electric Lamp 206 AV Amplifier 301 Monitoring Device 302 Refrigerator 303 Window 304 NAS
305 Steam oven 306 Bedroom air conditioner 500, 510, 520, 530, 600, 610, 700, 710, 800, 900 Screen example X Control system

Claims (9)

In a remote controller device that stores commands of a control system that controls a plurality of electrical devices,
Receiving means for receiving device-specific information stored in a plurality of electric devices controlled by the remote controller device;
Analyzing means for analyzing the received device-specific information;
A remote controller apparatus comprising: an assigning unit that assigns a command of each device to a corresponding button of the input unit based on the function of each device of the analyzed device-specific information. 2. The remote according to claim 1, wherein the device-specific information includes a unified control code in which control codes that are data and programs related to commands of the plurality of electrical devices are described in a data description language according to a predetermined rule. Controller device. The predetermined rule is a rule for assigning a common category function to the same command for each type of the plurality of electrical devices,
The remote controller device according to claim 1, wherein the assigning unit assigns the command of the function of the common category to a corresponding button of the input unit. 4. The remote controller according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of control units configured to control the plurality of electrical devices connected to a network using the device specific information. 5. apparatus. The device-specific information further includes an implementation chart that is data related to functions supported by a plurality of electrical devices,
The remote controller apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of control units further store the implementation chart and perform control based on data relating to a function corresponding to the implementation chart. An electric device comprising device-specific information received by the remote controller device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Device-specific information received by the remote controller device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An implementation chart according to claim 5,
The device specific information and the implementation chart are updated via a network. A remote controller device according to any one of claims 1 to 5;
A control system comprising: the electric device according to claim 6. Receiving a unified control code that collects device-specific information for remote controller devices of the plurality of electrical devices according to a predetermined rule, and an implementation chart relating to a corresponding function;
Analyzing the received unified control code,
A control method characterized by allocating a command of a category common to each control function to the corresponding button of the input means using the implementation chart for the analyzed unified control code.

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